Recently Adopted 14 y/o w/ Untreated Diabetes

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AmandaBilowFrampton

AmandaBilowFrampton

Member Since 2016
Hi all!

I'm new to the message board. We recently adopted a 14 year old male who was dumped at the shelter by his previous owners. After having him for a couple days we got results from the blood work the shelter had done for him that he was diabetic (glucose was up around 350+) Luckily for us the vet we use is the same one his previous owners went to so they have all his records. However, they pointed out he might be diabetic in February of this year and he was never tested or treated. While he was in the shelter (about a month and a half) they fed him kitten food and some kind of liquid treat crap because that's all he would eat. We've had him about a week now and he stopped eating all together a few days ago (he apparently doesn't like the food our other cats eat - Purina ONE and friskies shreds wet food occasionally). We want to do whats best for this guy but don't have alot of free money to throw at him - esp since we didn't know he was diabetic when we committed to him. Hes finally eating a little now (made it through a can of Royal Canin Recovery and some chopped boiled chicken and tuna). Does anyone have suggestions for temporary wet food that I can get for him someplace local (petsmart or petco) that won't break the bank? We cant really afford all the testing for the glucose curve so I'm interested in learning enough to do it ourselves at home and putting him on a better food long term so he won't need as much insulin.

Thanks for listening to my story and I look forward to learning alot and making new friends here! :)
 
Welcome.
Have yo started insulin treatment?
Good insulins are the human Lantus and Levemir and the pet insulins ProZinc and BCP PZI. For those two human insulin it is best to get the 5 pack of 3 ml disposable pens via a 10 ml vial. Although per ml the vial is less expensive most cats will not use up a 10 ml vial before the insulin goes bad/becomes ineffective. The human insulin N/NPH is sometimes prescribed but only lasts 8-10 hours. Same for the pet insulin Vetsulin/Caninisulin.
Most of us here test our cat's blood glucose at home using a human meter. We test before each shot and periodically between shots. We record our reading and other info in a spreadsheet. See:
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/fdmb-spreadsheet-instructions.130337/
A low-carb canned is best. No reason for a prescription food. Here is a list of commercial low-carb canned. Try to find one(s) that he will eat.

http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/shortcut-shopping-list-all-8-or-less-updated.117688/

Here is a link to home testing blood sugar http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/hometesting-links-and-tips.287/

Congratulations for taking in a diabetic cat. May last cat, Bun Bun like like yours but he only 13. Before that it was a cats, Patches II, left in an apartment when the caretakers left. She was about 10.
Home testing is very important. The Walmart Relion Confirm and Confirm Micro are good meters marked for humans and work good for cats. The test strips are very reasonably priced.
 
Hi and welcome! Bless you for adopting an older kitty! There are many low carb wet foods available for your cat(what's his name?) many of us use Fancy Feast Classics, Sheba or Friskies Pate. Just be sure there is no gravy, pate only. As for testing his glucose at home, it's really very easy. All you need is a human glucometer from any pharmacy, lancets and plenty test strips. Most of us use the Relion Confirm from Walmart. While you're at the pharmacy you may want to pick up some ketone test strips too. Here's a link to get you started
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/hometesting-links-and-tips.287/
After you start testing you should set up a spreadsheet to record your data. It will help you, your vet and anyone here to better help you. Here are the instructions
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/fdmb-spreadsheet-instructions.130337/
If you need help please ask!
 
Oops I never mentioned his name! He came to us from the shelter as Casper (no idea why since hes black without a spot of white haha) and we learned from the vet his name is actually Elvis. We haven't started insulin yet. The vet wanted us to hospitalize him and then start on the insulin and special prescribed diet but all said and done we were looking at $1000+ between the testings and office visits. My husband mentioned how expensive "animal specific" everything is so we started looking for alternate options and ended up here. Thank you for all of the fantastic links! I will definitely be going to the store to get a variety of wet foods to try, from the sounds of it we're lucky hes not a huge fan of dry food as its not the best for a diabetic kitty.
 
This is our new old man :)
20160621_205706.jpg
 
Welcome Elvis! My vet wanted me to leave Colin for a few days while they started him on insulin too, but I declined. Do you know which insulin you will be using? It will be good to get him on the low carb diet and test his glucose for a few days before starting. It's possible that with the switch in foods his insulin needs will drop.
 
Welcome!
Check my signature link Secondary Monitoring Tools for some other assessments to help evaluate your cat. In particular, food and water intake and output, dehydration checks, and urine ketone and glucose testing are helpful in monitoring a diabetic cat's health status for improvements.
 
He has another vet appt scheduled for this Friday just because he was pretty sick when we took him last Thursday and they said the recheck of his blood is only $35. I want him to have been on the better food for a couple days so we get a good reading, and then I can sort of use the numbers they get as my baseline going forward measuring his glucose at home. The adjustment to our home has been hard on him so I know it might take some time to get his insulin dose regulated. We were having to empty the litter box almost twice a day for the first 3 days we had him because of the amount of pee but over the last 4 days its been significantly less (due to refusing to eat or drink). I just want to get him eating again and then I figured we could work on figuring out the insulin thing. Do you have any brand insulin that you recommend or should I discuss that with our vet when I see them on Friday?
 
The best insulins are Lantus, Levemir or Prozinc. I suggest you at least consider learning to test him now so that your ready to go when you start the insulin. It's not hard to do, but some people and kitties need a little practice to get it right, and that would be one less thing to worry about when you start the insulin. I also recommend you get some ketone test strips since he's not eating well or getting insulin yet. You can get them at any pharmacy and they are inexpensive.
 
Okay I'll make that my project for the week! Hes such a mellow guy I imagine we'll do okay together. As long as theres the promise of a chin scratch or a good brushing he's pretty willing. I have no idea how his old owners could take him to the shelter after having him for 13+ years....just breaks my heart.
 
I'm so glad you have him. He's a lucky guy, and you're lucky too! Please keep us posted. Ask any questions you have on the Health Forum.
 
Hi, I feel for you and Elvis! How many other cats do you have? My Penny, 14 years old was just diagnosed as diabetic 2 weeks ago. Our vet bills are about $850 to date. That includes new wet food, Royal Canin, glycobalance, a curve visit, insulin and testing. She is doing better, we are the ones still adjusting. We have another cat, Holly who is 4. Feeding time is now 6am and 6pm with insulin injections. It gets challenging picking up bowls so one doesn't eat the others food.
 
Hi Penny's mom. She's adorable! Why don't you start a thread and tell us about your kitty. Maybe we can help you manage her diabetes and save some money too!
 
We have two other males as well but they're all still trying to get used to each other right now and the two younger ones pretty much avoid Elvis in general. We haven't had issues with then trying to eat his food but the dog is another story lol you could try getting a tall baby gate and feed the two kitties separate so they can still see each other but can't get to the food. It seems to be helping set boundaries for our pup, not sure if it will help in your situation.
 
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